Nanotechnology is being explored by scientists to provide solutions for various treatments
such as cancer and healing of wounds. A study has been published in the Advanced
Functional Materials showing that there is a possibility of developing mini-robots that can
carry out delicate functions in the human body. The nanotechnologies will have special
abilities to swim in the bloodstream and go ahead ‘to assemble medical devices’ in the
human body. The aim of the scientists is to make things that are small enough to get into
the body easily with the aim of creating a nano-doctor.
Dr. Metin Sitti of Carnegie Mellon University and Dr.Eric Diller have used magnetic rods to
create an uncomplicated version of micro-robots. Each micro-robot is approximately one
millimeter long and has two gripping arms. A human doctor will be able to operate the
micro-robots by employing magnetic field forces to enable the movement of the robots and
to operate the grippers. Currently, the completed experiments show that the nanorobots
have the capacity of transporting minute objects as well as constructing bridges using the
rods. According to Sitti, future inventions are expected to be injected into the blood system,
alongside other parts of micro-machines and can swim to a wound.
The nanorobot will then put up a medical device but remain afloat in the bloodstream.
Food and drug administration-pill cameras have been in existence since 2001, but the
technology is very basic compared to nanorobots. These cameras carry out imaging roles
but they do not have their self-driven propulsion system, and therefore they require the
operation of a doctor to move through the body. Dr. Sitti is hence working on a new capsule
with greater capabilities compared to the existing versions. The new capsule – a
therapeutic capsule endoscope should possess two magnets on either side to allow the
doctor to maneuver it externally.
The new technology will also allow the doctor to spin and twist the nanorobot capsule from
inside the patient’s body. The capsule is created from a flexible elastomer, which can also
allow the doctor to adjust the shape of the capsule. The doctor can place a drug inside a
chamber at the middle of the capsule that enables him to inject medicine to a particular
area by altering the form of the capsule. Once he has obtained reliable control, the
capabilities of the device can be increased and the capsule can also be adjusted to perform
other functions such as tissue biopsy and cauterizing or cleaning sites affected by wounds.

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